Why do sources indicate different days of birthday of soviet dictator Stalin?

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Question:

I do not have in mind differencies between Gregorian and Julian calendars (New Style and Old Style), which differed Western Europe and tsarist Russia!. I mean, which day is correct according to the Western calendar!.

One sources (including soviet encyclopedias) indicate that Stalin was born 21 December 1879, but others, including Wikipedia in different languages, indicate 18 December 1878!. You may see that even years are different in this case, but my question is about day of month!.

Wikipedia:

Joseph Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин, Iosif Stalin Georgian: ????? ???????), born as Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili[note 1] December 18 [O!.S!. December 6] 1878 – March 5, 1953)

http://www!.notablebiographies!.com/Sc-St/!.!.!. extract:

JOSEPH STALIN Biography
Born: December 21, 1879

I wish to know truth and hope it will not confirm suspicions that politicians started to correct facts of the past, willing to avoid comparisons with another Georgian - the present president Mikheil Saakashvili, born 21 December!.1967!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

That is a very good question!. There are many reasons why he may have lied about his birth-date - and it is certain that it is not an error - he was very careful about what personal information was known!.
The lie is an old one, it is first recorded after he left the seminary in Tbilisi!.
I think there are three reasons for it!.
i) to make him seem mysterious to his contemporaries and eventually to the Soviet people
ii) to avoid military service, apparently it was a widespread practice in Georgia (R Service: 2004)
iii) to outwit the Okhrana (secret Police) - so he could claim to be a different man to the one they were looking for!.

His true birth-date is 6th December 1878Www@QuestionHome@Com

Dec!. 6 - The December 21 date comes erroneously from a legend about him, that he was so evil he was born on the longest night of the year!.
(After Dec 21, the days start to become longer again!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com